Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Katie

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is about a girl who brings color and life into Mica High School. Mica High school is the central of conformity, every day when you wake up your goal is pretty much to be as un-dorkey as possible. But this year theres a new friendly girl who has been home schooled for years and is just entering the tenth grade. This could be the average tenth grade girl but its not. From the moment she enters the school everyones talking about her. Her name is Stargirl. Stargirl has the individuality, spirit and energy that most of us wouldnt even dream of. Within her first month at school she starts a whole school spirit revolution with just one football ball game and becomes a lead cheerleader. She is the beginning of individuality at Mica High. She wears kimonos and pioneer dresses to school, strums a ukulele during lunch, laughs when there are no jokes, dances in the rain and leaves gifts on desks. Pretty soon the whole school cant resist her friendliness and charm (especially Leo Borlock) and she becomes one of the most popular people in the school. Unfortunately popularity is a fragile thing and pretty soon people start questioning things about her. Questions like why does she sing happy birthday to every one and the most asked, Why as a cheerleader does she cheer for both teams at the basketball game? Pretty soon the shunning of Stargirl starts and soon Leo Borlock who has now become Starboy is included in the shunning. Leo who is concerned about her and his popularity tries to turn Stargirl into the one thing she cant be, Normal.
This book shows you that all throughout life there will always be people who dont like you or want you to be different. It may be a popular kid who wants to be friends with you if you drop your other friends, or your sibling whos embarrassed because you dress funny. Whatever it is your uniqueness is important and you should never change just to please someone else. Its better to be liked for who you are rather then who you are not.